Nobody wants to make mistakes, but when you do, learn from the experience.
In deciphering the following gang code document, the first “word” I deciphered was wrong, but two of the letters I identified were correct. When deciphering a gang or inmate-coded sample, sometimes your best teacher is your last mistake.
I received a request to decipher the full-page and partial-page samples shown in illustration 1 and 2.
You get a close-up view of each paragraph in illustrations 3 through 6. Carefully examine each section. Look for similar symbols, symbol patterns, single symbols and double symbols.
Next, let’s examine some of these close-up views and I will highlight some of the similar symbols, symbol patterns, single symbols and double symbols. As you examine illustration 7, you will see I highlighted two identical sets of symbols. To me, this looked like the word “HOLLA.” Do you see the double letters? I was wrong, but remember, your best teacher is your last mistake.
In illustration 8, I identified a single symbol. In English, excluding texting abbreviations, the only two letters that are used as a single letter are: “I” and “A.” Since I have tentatively identified the letter “A” in the word “HOLLA,” I will tentatively identify this symbol as the letter “I.”
As I worked through the document, I found that some of the symbols I identified in the word “HOLLA” were not correct. But the symbols I identified as letters “O” and “A” in that group of symbols, did seem to be correct. I also felt that the symbol for the letter “I” was correct. Now I had to find a group of symbols that would confirm the identity of these symbols.
In illustration 9, I identified two groups of symbols. If I correctly identified the symbols for the letters “O”, “A” and “I,” then the symbol pattern for these words would be:
“OA_ _ _ A_” and “_OO_I_ _”
Try to figure out what these words might be before you look at my solution.
Here you can see that the solution to this challenge is “OATMEAL and “COOKIES”.
“OA_ _ _ A_” and “_OO_I_ _”
“OATMEAL” and “COOKIES”
If these identifications are correct, you now have ten letters of the alphabet. Now you just have to fill in the blanks with other groups of symbols to identify the rest of the alphabet.
Illustrations 10 through 12 provide examples of how I filled in the blanks with other groups of symbols to identify the rest of the alphabet.
Illustration 11 is a close-up view of the highlighted symbols shown in illustration 10. Note that the first and last symbols are identical. Note the double symbols now identified as the letter “T.” Note the location of the previously identified letters “I” and “E.”
What word matches the pattern shown in illustration 11?
Illustration 12 shows the solution.
You have now identified the letters “G” and “N.” Now you just have to fill in the blanks with other groups of symbols to identify the rest of the alphabet.
The symbol template shown in illustration 13 identifies the symbols used in this sample. Note we have also identified number one and number two. The word that I mistakenly identified as “HOLLA” turned out to be “GONNA.”
Illustration 14 and 15 show the deciphered document. I did not correct spelling or grammar.
I was able to decipher this sample because I learned that mistakes don’t mean failure, they can be your best teacher.
